USD production chosen as part of regional festival

Aberdeen native in charge of scenic design

Aberdeen native in charge of scenic design

January 10, 2008|From staff reports

The University of South Dakota's production of “Of Mice and Men” has been selected to perform at Region V of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Jan. 23. Randy Niles, a USD student from Aberdeen, handled set design for the production. The play will be presented at the Iowa Western Community College Performing Arts Center at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23. In preparation for the regional competition, “Of Mice and Men” will be featured in a single performance at 1 p.m. Jan. 20 in the Wayne S. Knutson Theatre in the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts on the USD campus. Tickets are $10 for adults, $6 for youth 12 and younger and non-USD students, and $4 for USD students. Reservations may be made by calling the box office at (605) 677-5400 or online at www.usd.edu/cfa/Theatre. The University Theatre box office will open for walk-up sales on the day of the performance, beginning at noon. The play is one of only five productions in the region that were invited to perform out of 80 college and university productions that competed for the right to perform at the festival. A panel of industry professionals will judge the five invited productions and select one to advance to the national finals of KCACTF at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in April. The KCACTF is an annual event where students compete for scholarships, internships, grants and awards in acting, design, stage management, dramaturgy and playwriting. More than 1,400 students from colleges and universities in seven Midwest states participate in the festival. Associate professor Charlotte Guyette is the director and associate professor Dennis Chandler is the sound designer. Niles and two other USD seniors comprise the remainder of the artistic team. The other students are Chris Schloss of Yankton, who is doing the lighting design, and Steven Buechler of Centerville, who handles costumes. Set in Salinas, Calif. during the Great Depression, “Of Mice and Men” focuses on George and Lennie, who have dreams of living off the “fat of the land” once they've earned enough money to buy their own place. The play examines George and Lennie's struggle for survival in the face of economic hardship, discrimination and loneliness. The cast includes seniors Rob Garness of Belle Fourche, who plays George, and Andy Heller of Armour, who plays Lennie. Dan Workman of Vermillion is The Boss while Kevin Earlywine, a freshman from Rockford, Ill., is Curley. Lindsey Straw, a junior from Ralston, Neb., portrays Curley's wife. Eric Adams of Omaha, Neb., is Candy. Victor Mohamed and Mike Husby, both of Sioux Falls, play Crooks and Slim, respectively. Paul Petersen of Cheyenne, Wyo., portrays Carlson and Tyler Hudson of South Sioux City, Neb., plays Whit.